In the processing of baker's dough, dough is usually made up by feeding raw dough and a liquid into a pressure pump, and the pump advances the dough through various stages toward an oven. For example, the dough from the pressure pump might pass through a developer that stretches the gluten of the dough, and then through a metering pump where the pressure of the dough is increased and stabilized. The dough passes from the metering pump through a scaling division manifold that divides the oncoming dough into several dough streams. The dough then passes through a cut-off device that cuts the oncoming dough streams into smaller pieces, the pieces being suitable for baking as biscuits, buns, hot dog buns, etc. Examples of some of these components are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,270,070, 5,356,652 and 5,283,074.
There are times when it is desirable to modify the number of oncoming dough steams when the desired end product is being changed. For example, the end product might be changed in shape from smaller biscuits to elongated hot dog buns, etc. The changing of the end product might require one or more of the dough streams to be terminated, leaving fewer dough streams that would likely be used for the larger or longer buns. In order to reduce the number of dough streams, some of the components of the equipment must be modified or replaced. For example, when the dough leaves the metering pump and advances to the scaling division manifold where the dough is formed into several dough streams, a substitute scaling division manifold might be required. This is likely to require a shut down of the dough processing equipment while scaling division manifold and possibly other components are replaced.
In some instances, it is possible to block a channel of the dough processing equipment by inserting a plug and then a fastener to hold the plug in place at the scaling division manifold. In other instances, the dough processing equipment might include rotary globe valves in the channels that are used to adjust the flow of dough streams through the equipment. It might be possible to completely close a globe valve to block one of the dough streams, whereby the valve can be rotated about 20 or 30 turns to completely block the channel. The valves of this type usually are not located in the most desirable positions in the dough processing path to close off dough streams and are not well suited for expediently blocking or opening a channel for the dough.
Another feature of the prior art is that the dough processing equipment must be cleaned at predetermined periods for sanitation purposes. A typical cleaning method includes the turbulent movement of water under pressure through the dough channels. This has the effect of urging the water against the inside surfaces of the equipment, usually forcing any residue of dough and condiments out of the equipment. However, when there are multiple channels formed by the equipment, it is difficult to raise the pressure of the water to an equal pressure through all of the channels.
It would be desirable to have a valve system that could expediently block and open a dough stream at the most desirable position along the dough processing line for modifying the number of dough streams produced by the system and for expediently and more thoroughly cleaning the equipment.
Accordingly, this invention is directed to the above noted problems and to solutions thereto.